Can growth hormone treatment in boys without growth hormone deficiency impair testicular function?

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics Vol. 135; no. 3; pp. 367 - 370
• Main Authors: Bertelloni, Silvano, Baroncelli, Giampiero I., Viacava, Paolo, Massimetti, Mauro, Simi, Paolo, Saggese, Giuseppe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.09.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Atrophy; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; Follow-Up Studies; Growth Disorders - drug therapy; Human Growth Hormone - adverse effects; Humans; Hypogonadism - blood; Hypogonadism - chemically induced; Hypogonadism - diagnostic imaging; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Testis - diagnostic imaging; Testis - drug effects; Testis - pathology; Testosterone - blood; Ultrasonography; hGH; GH; FSH; SDS; LH; Human; Small dimension; Toxicity; Somatotropin hormone; Male; Testicle; Long term; Genital diseases; Case study; Protein hormone; Chemotherapy; Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism; Spermatogenesis disorders; Treatment; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Volume; Body size; Adolescent; Young adult; Complication; Child
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3476(99)70136-8

Four young male subjects (age range, 17 4/12 to 25 5/12 years), previously treated with human growth hormone for non-growth hormone–dependent short stature, showed reduced testicular volume and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. They also showed impaired spermatogenesis and altered testicular texture as determined by ultrasonography. No clinical or laboratory finding showed disease associated with testicular dysfunction. An unfavorable gonadal outcome could occur in boys without growth hormone deficiency treated with human growth hormone. (J Pediatr 1999;135:367-70)